Insect trapping electric fixture



April 30, 1940- N. T. ESHBAUGH 2,198,807

INSECT TRAPPING ELECTRIC FIXTURE Filed Mar ch 10, 1937 r 7 I I I IIIIIIIIIIIIII Patented Apr. 30, 1940 PATENT .rrics Newton T. Eshbaugh, Phoenix, Ariz. Application March 10,1937, Serial No. 130mm 1 Claim.

Myinvention relates to an insect trapping electric fixture, and the construction disclosed herein is an improvement on the invention disclosed in application for United States Letters Patent filed #16 by me March .30, 1931, Serial Number 536,365. I The principal. objects of my present invention are to. generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the insect trapping .electric fixture disclosed in my aforesaid application for patent, as well as other devices utilized for trappingnocturnal insectsthat are attracted. by a bright light, and, further, to provide a combined trap and fixture that is simple in construction, of 'neat and pleasing appearance, and which comprises few parts that are capable of being readily assembled or taken. apart. I

A further object of my invention is to provide.

acombined insect trapand lighting fixture of the character referred to wherein that portion of the 20 trap thatsurrounds the electric lamp is constructed and disposed so as to not interfere in any way with or cut down'the light rays emanating from the lamp, and the transparent or translucent bowl that forms the lower portion of the. combined trap 25 and fixture functioning as a receptacle for the trapped insects,.and, also for the outward and downward difiusion of light from the electric lamp that is associated with the fixture;

With the foregoing and other objects in view 30 my invention consists in certainj novel features of construction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and I claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

35 I Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a combined insect trap and electric lighting fixture constructed in accordance with my invention. l

, Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. I

m Fig. 3 is a detail plan view showing a portion of the bowl that forms the lower part of the fixture and a portion of a trapping and deflecting ring from Whichthe bowl is suspended.

4 is an elevational view with parts broken 45 away of the combined trap and fixture applied to, a wall bracket and with a conduit leading from the lower portion of the bowl for carrying off the insects that are trapped in the device.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying on drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, II] designates an internally threaded socket adapted to receive the threaded plug II of a conventional electric lamp bulb I2,

and extending upwardly from socket I0 is a ll threaded plug I3 of conventional form that is metal.

adapted to be screw seated in an electric socket.

Permanently secured to the socket I!) are. the upper ends of a plurality of vertically disposed radially arranged plates or vanes I 4, preferably of thin sheet metal and which may be colored (#5 white, or finished and polished to produce refleeting surfaces. In the drawing I have shown four of these plates or vanes, but it will be understood that the number of plates utilized may be varied as desired. I

These plates extend outwardly and thence downwardly with theirinneredges spacedapart a suflicient distance to accommodate the lamp bulb I2, and secured to the lower ends of said plates I4 is a ring I5, preferablyformed of sheet 15 This ring gradually declines from its outer to its inner edge and formed on the outer edge of said ring, preferably at diametrically opposite point, are downwardly and inwardly pre sented lips I6 that function as hooks for engaging a flange on the upper edge of the bowl that forms the lower part of the fixture.

This bowl, designated by the numeral I1, is formed of glass, either transparent or translucent,

and formed integral with the upper edge of said bowl is a rib or flange IB which, when applied to the ring I5, occupies a position immediately beneath the outer edge of said ring.

Formed in the marginal flange I8, at diametrioallyopposite points, are notches 9 for the accommodation of thepair of lips or hooks I6, and after the bowl is positioned against the underside of ring I5, with the hooks or lips positioned in the notches I9, the bowl is rotated a short distance in either direction so as to move the lips or hooks 36 out of registration with the notches l9, and thus said lips'or hooks engage the underside of the rib ornflange I8 to securely connect the bowl I I to ring I5, (see Fig. 3). That portion of the bowl H I? below the circumferential flange I8 may be of 40 any desired size and contour.

In the use of my improved insect trap and lighting fixture, the threaded plug 83 is inserted in a conventional lamp socket so that the fixture is suspended in a substantially vertical position, and when the lamp is lighted at night, flying insects are attracted by the light, and as they fly against the lamp bulb the insects will be momentarily stunned and will drop downward between the lower portion of the lamp bulb and the inner lower edge of the ring I5. l I

If the flying insects attempt to fly around the lamp, they will sooner or later strike against the plates I4 and then drop downwardly between the lamp bulb and the inneredge of ring I5.

The greater number of insects that are trapped in the bowl I! will die in a short time as the result of the heat from the lamp bulb and if any of the insects should attempt to crawl upwardly within the bowl they will be prevented from escaping the combined trapping and deflecting ring l5 which extends inwardly and downwardly from the upper edge of the bowl.

In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 4, the bowl I! that is suspended from the ring i5 is provided with a' short centrally arranged performing its intended functions.

The plates or vanes that surround'the electric lamp Jbulb are disposed so that they do not .in any way interfere with the light rays that'radiate from the lamp .bulb, and wheresaid plates are provided with 'whiteor polished surfaceslthey function as reflectors for the'light rays -:from the bulb and thus serve to enhance the insectattracting qualities of the device.

The inclined ring plate 1 5, in addition'to functioning as a deflector to cause any insects that drop thereon, to drop into the :bowl also functions to trap the insects within'the bowl and-prevent their escape therefrom in the event "that they attempt to escape .bycrawling up the inner surface of the bowl.

It will be understood that minor changes in which is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention: I

A combined insect trap and electric lighting fixture comprising a socket adapted to receive the threaded plug of an :electric lamp, a threadedv plug projecting from the .;upper end of said socket and adapted to be seated in a conventional electric lamp socket, a plurality of radially disposed plates having their ends fixed to said socket,=said plates projecting outwardly and downwardly from said socket, the lower ends of which plates terminate above the plane occupied by the lower-endof the electric lamp that is seated in :said socket, a combined insect deflecting and trapping ring secured to the lower ends of said plates and extending lrom their "lower outer corners inwardly and downwardly to the lower inner :cornersof said plates, whichring "is wholly above the plane occupied by the lower end of the :electric lamp that is seated in said socket,

with the inner edge :of said ring spaced :apart from the lower p'ortion of said electric =lamp,'integral .hooks 'formed on the outer edge 0f said ring and projecting vdownwardly and inwardly therefrom, a bowl :of transparent material po-' siti'oned beneath said ring, there being notches formed in the upper edge of said bowl for the accommodation ofithe .hooks on said ring and the major portion of which bowl is located wholly "below the lower end of :therel'ectric lamp that is 255 positioned in said socket.

:NEWTON T. ESHBIAUGH. 

